My first kart/buggy build Ninja 250R motor

[bighead]

Okay the mesurement is 13" from back of main j-arm bar to front round part of steering column. The hight difference is about 5.5" best guess.

My Yellow car has only 2" height difference but it is modded heavy with custom steering shaft and pitman arm angle. I did post pic on how the did the crossmember though. Pretty simple really. Just round tubing and simple bracket.

Not sure how your going to deal with the 5.5" height difference.

As you can see my steering in not the same as stock. But show simple way to mount your stuff. Hope others chime in for I am far from steering guy.

 

[Timtreo]

Thanks bighead, those measurements will come in handy. I've been pressing refresh to see if you posted them and DUH, I didn't see this thread went to a 3rd page... I got busy with some other stuff anyway but thank you for getting them for me. I cleaned up the wheels and painted them, I'm just going to use tubes and mount the tires myself. Should be real easy with the split rims. I just have to get the moron who mounted them (one backwards) to get them off the other rims without destroying them. I got them out of my shed today and they were both flat...
I also found 2 long pieces of 1/8" T steel and I cut a piece and slipped it between and up against the main J arm bar and top frame bar and welded it all the way across both sides. Also cut some 1" square and connected the front end corners I cut out to make the J arms work. I'll get some pics posted tomorrow when I get some work done on the crossmember. Cheers

 

[Timtreo]

Hey bighead here is a pic of the shock. The one I was looking at the bushing must have fallen out of because I found it on my work bench. And the other shock has one bushing also, so I would just need 2 bushings, the bolts (I'll get a nut for that one bolt) and the rubber stops and the bolts for them if you have them. Thanks, Tim

 

[Timtreo]

Here is what I came up with for the cross member. I'll weld it together and then cut out he floor around it and slip it in up from underneath so it will be level with the top of the bottom frame bar. Then cut a notch in the middle of it so the column will bolt to the inside of the square. That will get me right at 5" down from the main J bar and 13" back.
The only thing is this chunk of metal is HEAVY. I have a 3/4" step bit (got it from ebay so who knows how many holes it will drll) I would like to drill a bunch of holes in it to lose some weight. Anyone know the best way to do that without losing strength. It is 3"X1/4" angle so it is pretty darn strong.
Should I drill 2 rows lengthwise on each side or stagger the holes? Thanks for any advise.

PS I'm going to put a weld bead on the back side of that T steel I welded between the frame and main J bar also. And some support braces down to the bottom frame bar.

 

[bighead]

Why not do it like the yellow ody above?

 

[Timtreo]

There is nothing below my frame on the sides to connect a crossmember to to get it down 5" like those tube bars you have on there. I figured this would be the strongest way, as you said there is a lot of force there.

 

[bighead]

Hmmm. can you bend a bar like this. \______/

Not sure if the height will matter anyway. The angle of the column will have to be the same. I would think height not so much if tie rods have room. Not sure though it hard to picture in my head. Try tacking it all up at floor lever and see if the steering works? IDK.

IMO that crossmember is way to bulky looking. Looks funky.

If you do go below the floot consider that skid pan. The skid pan will guild rocks and stuff right past the rods and shaft.

 

[Timtreo]

Yeah it is kind of bulky but I don't think it will be that noticable. It will be 1" above the floor even with the top of the bottom frame bar and 2" below the floor. I thought getting the measurments you gave me from the stock Oddy was important for the tie rods to work correctly?
Does the skid pan on the stock Oddy cover the tie rods completely? It looks to me like the front of the pan goes around that main J arm bar and it doesn't look like it goes back 13" to cover it all? I'll have to mod it a bit to fit my frame if that's where it goes. I just held it up quick without the column actually in though so I could be wrong. One thing about my cross member if anything slams it it's not going anywhere.

 

[bighead]

I would try to set it up at floor lever and see if it works. I have no clue if it will or not? I would think the height would not be as critical as the steering shaft angle and distance from front main bar will be. IDK but at the same time 5" is huge so only you will be able to tell.

The skidpan just reflects rocks or what ever past the tierods. The tierods kind of hide up in there. But the pan does not cover them in anyway.

 

[bighead]

Try to set it just like this with the end of the column right below the floor line. Tac it all up and see how it turns. Can you do this or am I missing something?

 

[Timtreo]

I think if it is right below the floor line, the pitman arm would rub (or be VERY close to the floor). The reason I had for bringing that cross member up inside the frame(besides the 5" height difference from the J bar) is that I'll be able to weld it all along the frame and those corner angle frame pieces I welded back in. Super strong this way, no?

EDIT Never Mind I was looking at that pic and I still have the pitman arm flipped up the wrong way. I'll spin it around angled down and see if what your saying will work. Thanks.

 

[bighead]

Also the flat bars you got running up to the main bar? I would replaced those with round bar. I think that flat bar is to flimsey.

 

[Timtreo]

Yeah I'm going to do something else there. I just left them for the time being because they held that top frame bar straight while I welded the main J arm bar on. Were you able to find that stuff you were going to mail me? Thanks, Tim

 

[bighead]

I have the bushing and bolts. You also need the ruber bumper stops right?

Spaced it. Will gather it all up tomorrow night. PM me then for I forget easy.

 

[bighead]

This guys just joined the group. Here is his thread.

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?p=223015#post223015

Also some pics from pilotody dot com. This is how a member is making his rear section.

http://www.pilotodyssey.com/PO/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10576

 

[Timtreo]

Yeah I need the rubber stops and bolts for them if you have them. Thanks for those pics and links. That will help me figure out how I'm going to do the swing arm. Not sure yet until I get the front done (should be this weekend) but I may need to also drop the rear swing arm down a little to get the frame at least level. I'll see when I get the shocks mounted how high the front end sits off the ground.
I am having a 67T sprocket for my 520 chain made by PBI sprockets (high grade aluminum) and I had this hub http://www.bmikarts.com/item/Aluminum-Sprocket-Hub---Star-400240-600248-600238-600239-5760 sent to them so they can match it up perfectly. Thanks to anderkart for his help in that department.
Question for you bighead, what is wrong with those tie rods you sent me besides a little bent? Could I just straighten them out or is there something else I need to worry about with them?

 

[bighead]

Yeah I need the rubber stops and bolts for them if you have them. Thanks for those pics and links. That will help me figure out how I'm going to do the swing arm. Not sure yet until I get the front done (should be this weekend) but I may need to also drop the rear swing arm down a little to get the frame at least level. I'll see when I get the shocks mounted how high the front end sits off the ground.
I am having a 67T sprocket for my 520 chain made by PBI sprockets (high grade aluminum) and I had this hub http://www.bmikarts.com/item/Aluminum-Sprocket-Hub---Star-400240-600248-600238-600239-5760 sent to them so they can match it up perfectly. Thanks to anderkart for his help in that department.
Question for you bighead, what is wrong with those tie rods you sent me besides a little bent? Could I just straighten them out or is there something else I need to worry about with them?

Yah just bent and I think a nut is missing.

 

[Timtreo]

Ok so I got my funky crossmember in. I drilled a bunch of holes so it's 4lbs total now. The steering looks like it's going to work great, only one problem... I definitly have to drop the seat down into the frame like bighead suggested earlier. The steering wheel is WAY too low for an adults knees to fit under it comfortably. Here are some pics. Disregard my gloppy welds, I went crazy with the amount of weld I put down so I could come back later and grind all the surfaces even between the square and round bar. Also the the floor panel is not welded back up straight to the crossmember yet, I might put a piece of sheet metal over that whole front part on top of the crossmember to the front of the bottom frome bar after I figure out where my pedals are going to go.

 

[anderkart]

Looking good Tim

 

[Timtreo]

Hey thanks anderkart. My wife just went to pick up a fiberglass seat I found at an autobody place where the guy builds dirt track race cars so maybe I'll be able to get that in today.